The Exeter team doctor, Adam Reuben, looked on affectionately at his players — his patients, perhaps we should call them — as they enjoyed a few pints of stout, having announced their arrival in the Heineken Cup with a thorough examination of the champions on their own turf. "They just love being in each other's company," he said. "Even if they'd been offered the option of going home tonight, they wouldn't have wanted to take it. It's what they do after every game. Including the home ones."

There is certainly something of the old school about Exeter, something amateur, dare we say. But, far from being a weakness, it is one of the secrets to their hugely convincing campaign to be considered at home among rugby's elite. On paper, this set-to was a no contest; on grass, Exeter turned it into so much of a contest that they were unlucky to emerge from it with only a losing bonus point.

So far the Chiefs, buoyed by their colourful army of chanting fans, whose ubiquity and raucousness impress even Irish rugby followers, are negotiating each level of their ascent from junior rugby to the top with some confidence. "We didn't just arrive in the Premiership as if it was a dream," the Chiefs' coach, Rob Baxter, said. "We didn't just wake up here. We've worked a long time and we've worked very hard to get into the Heineken Cup. Now we've got to work very hard to be a successful part of it."

Leinster were relieved that Ignacio Mieres's last-minute penalty from just short of halfway flew wide, denying Exeter the draw that would have been a fairer reflection of the game's ebbs and flows. The score on paper, between the starting XVs at least, was 11 internationals to two in Leinster's favour. And one of Exeter's pair is Ian Whitten, capped by Ireland on one of those development tours to America but some way down Ireland's current pecking order than Leinster's array of superstars. This was a classic exhibition of the power of cohesive teamwork.

Joe Schmidt, Leinster's coach, conceded that his side were short of match practice, which is one advantage of a competitive domestic league that the English power-brokers don't talk about when they demand reform to the Heineken Cup.

"The more we play," Schmidt said, "the more confident I'd be that we can put better performances together. Leo [Cullen] hadn't played for a couple of weeks; Cian Healy hadn't. There's nothing like match conditioning. We knew that a number of units of Exeter's team had played every game this year. They're still fresh but they were conditioned enough to have more organisation and continuity than we did."

That dynamic will have shifted by the time the return fixture comes around in January. Who knows what state either side will be in by then. Of one thing we can be sure though. If the Leinster boys want a good night out in Exeter after the game, they will be shown it.

Leinster Madigan; Conway, O'Driscoll, McFadden, Nacewa; Sexton, Reddan; Healy (Van der Merwe 54), Strauss (Cronin 74), Ross, Cullen (capt), Browne (Toner 54), McLaughlin, Jennings, Heaslip

Pens Sexton 3

Exeter Arscott; Whitten, Dollman, Shoemark (Naqelevuki 54), Jess; Steenson (Mieres 66), Thomas (Chudley 54); Sturgess (Moon 72), Alcott (Whitehead 66), Rimmer (Budgen 76), Hayes (capt), Hanks (Muldowney 72), Johnson (Mumm 59), Scaysbrook, Baxter

Pens Steenson 2

Referee Pascal Gaüzère (Fr) Attendance 17,520